The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-04-15

| CONtIeu vi IIlls phTIlCuldI tNt ul1H WIFI
q green baize hood, which concealed
from view the fatal knife--a procau-
tion, no doubt, to prevent shock to
persons of an over-sensitive nature
This time the mania insisted upon be-
ing realized and luminous ruse con
quered the difficulty and suddenly
lighted the understanding of M. Re-
doux.
"Bravo have it !" he murmured
81 have my matches. A single gas jet
will light the tragic scene. Then a
call, and the door will be opened. l
will explain that | fell asleep and give
the boy half guinea 1t is quite
worth it7"
The room was already in shadows.
A worknans lantern on the platform
burned dimly. The tinsel, the crystals
| and silks threw a shining note in the
dullness. Presently he heard footsteps;
it was one of the porters coming to-
ward him in the Shakespeare alley.
Giving look at his neighbor, M. Re.
Doux took suddenly an immobie pose.
The gesture he chose was that Of one
offering a pinch of snuff. His broad
brimmed hat, his ruddy hands, his sleek
face and half closed eyes, the pitts
in his long overcoat; all bis person,
stiff aud breathless, seemed to add one
more to the sham visitors, so much so
that in the almost total obscurity the
porter, IN passing M. Redoux, thought
no dou' that it was a new acquisition
OF which the administration had not
warned him, gave him few light
strokes with feather duster and passed
on. The next moment the doors were
closed. M. Redoux, triumphant, could
at last realize one of his tancles, alone
in the blue darkness of the wax par.
lor. Cropping his way on tiptoe. pass
ing those vague kings and queens, he
reached the platform and slowly Hs-
cended the steps leading to the lugu-
brious machine. The collar in wood
was vis-a-vls the entrance of the hall.
Redouy closed his eyes in order to re-
call more vividly the sad scene, and
large tears were not slow TO trickle
down his cheeks. He thought of the
tears of old Malesherbes, charged with
the defense of his king bfore the na-
tioual convention-tears that were his
only defense.
"Unfortunate monarch !" sobbed
Redoux. "How well understand
what you have suffered But from
your infancy you were led astray
You were a victim of a necessity of
the times pity you from the bot
tom of my heart! As fathers of fam
lilies we understand each other. Your
crime was to have been king; NINE
to have been mayor!' And the too
sensitive manufacturers little haggard,
added in broken accents, and with a
gesture as if offering support to some
one: Courage, your majesty =? Re-
member that we are all mortal ~
Then looking at the plank he
touched its spring.
''To thiux that he was stretched
there" said the excellent man. "Yes,
we were very nearly of the same fig
ure, so it appears, and he must have
had the same embonpoint as l. Pretty
solid work this guillotine, and well
put together. Oh, what were, what
must have been, that is to say, his
supreme thoughts when once stretched
on this plank In three seconds he
must have reflected on centuries d! Let
us see. The executioner is not here.
Why should not stretch myself there
Just little-to know, to experience
morally
After this mental invitation the
worthy NJ Redoux took a resigned ex-
preston, quasi sublime, inclined for
warl, slowly at first, then little by
little, stretched himself on the movable
plank, so successfully indeed that he
could with ease contemplate the two
half moons of the gaping collar.
"Tbere. Let us stop here and medi-
tate. What agony he must have felt :"
And he wiped his eyes with his
handkerchief Redoux to install him
self more comfortably made a light
movement of the body which pushed
the sliding plank even with the collar
piece. This chance movement encour
aged the ex-mayor to make the illus
ion more perfect, he leaned his neck on
the half moon.
"Ah, poor king! l understand and
| lament murmured good M. Redoux,
''and it is a consolation to know that
once here suffering is not of long dura
ton"
AS he made a movement to raise
himself he heard by his right ear
light, dry crack. Crrick! 1t was the
other halt moon, shaken by the agita-
ton of M. Redoux, slipped IN its place
and imprisoning the head of the manu-
facturer. The honorable NJ Redoux
was uncomfortable under the sensa-
ton, aud twisted himself right and left.
But in vain; he was caught in the
trap, aud how was he to find the Sc
cret to liberate himself.
A singular thing: The little incl
dent had sobered him. Then without
transition his face became the color of
plaster, and his blood ran through his
arteries with terrible rapidIty. His
eyes rolled as if under the action of
vertigo, his body became like ice and
his teeth chartered. In the midst of
his hallucination CLEAN of light assur
ed him that there was no danger, since
there was no executioner But it had
just struck him that seven feet above
him hung that fatal knife, a hundred
pounds in weight, that the wood was
worm eaten, the springs worn, and that
by moving his body he exposed him
self to the danger of touching the but
ton that would cause the knife to de-
scend. Then his head would roll at
the feet of these wax phantoms who
now seemed to him a terrible audience,
for the reflection of the lantern on all
those figures gave vitality to the i'm
possibility, They were looking at him;
this crowd with glazed eyes seemed 10
wait
"Help!" he gasped, but he did not
dare to say it again for fear the vibra-
tions might push the button, And
this fixed idea wrinkled his livid brow,
drew his generous jaws, and caused
l. =. a.